Photo gallery: Toowoomba’s Southern Hotel launches The Terrace restaurant and outdoor space in Kearneys Spring

A longstanding Toowoomba pub has finally launched an ambitious $1.5m expansion, including a new restaurant and open entertainment space. Check out photos from the launch.

After more than a year of planning and construction, a popular Toowoomba pub has finally launched a $1.5m expansion that includes a new restaurant and open entertainment space.

The Southern Hotel officially opened The Terrace last week with a massive launch party, giving residents a look inside the new additions.

Featuring “biophilic design” elements such as cascading green walls and hanging gardens, the venue within the Southern has its own food and drinks menus, including pub classics and international cuisine.

Owner and manager Richard Bowly, whose family has owned the pub since 1986, said the expansion was catering to Toowoomba’s rapid growth.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Richard and Yvonne Bowly as well as Pauline and Andrew Innes.

“There’s been a lot of investment in Toowoomba and over the past two years I’ve kept my eye on it,” he said.

“What we’ve done will keep us in touch with the growth we expect (for the city).

“We’re proud to have witnessed a number of local venues working through these challenges and continuing to diversify and expand considering these trends.

“It’s this reinvestment into the region that continues to bring further food and beverage tourism to our region.”

Mr Bowly said the project, which had added nearly 90 sqm of floor space and another 40 car parks, created about a dozen new jobs.

The Terrace, a $1.5m new restaurant and open entertainment space at the Southern Hotel in Kearneys Spring, has been launched in Toowoomba.

“We’ve had to add more staff in the bar and the kitchen, and we’ve increased our maintenance staff — we’ve probably created a dozen extra jobs,” he said.

“We have a lot of nationalities in our kitchen so our chefs and our menu is very diverse, we have used their skills and their local cuisines to enhance our menu, but we also have your parmis and steaks.

“We’ve also upgraded all our disabled facilities, you can get straight out of your car and come straight in without extra ramps or lifts.”

Mr Bowly said he hoped the Terrace would expand the Southern’s appeal to more residents, including families.

Check out all the photos from the launch below:

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Chrissy Taylor and Kim O’Brien.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Constance Bailey and Lauren Hope.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Maryanne, Rachel, Fiona, Clive and Annie Johnson.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) David Janetzki and Kent Woodford.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Sarah Green, Gabrielle Picar-Garcia and Natalia Gradwell.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Brad Fitzgibbons and Ian Giles.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are (from left) Dan Stewart, Adam Mayes, Janita Mayes and Trudy Scherwin.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are Jodie and Brian May.

At the launch of the Terrace restaurant and outdoor space at the Southern Hotel are Eddie and Denise Roos.